1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of hair coloring and previewing apparatus, and more particularly to fashion previewing apparatus for providing a composite image comprising the combination of the image of the viewer combined with a preselected image, such as a hair style and color.
2. Prior Art
Various types of previewing systems are well known in the prior art. Of particular interest to the present invention is the prior art relating to previewing systems for providing an optical illusion comprising the superimposition of a hair style, preferably in color, over an image of the viewer's face so that the viewer may obtain an advanced look at a proposed hair style and/or hair color change. Such equipment has direct application in beauty salons, and could be used as an aid in the presentation and sale of hair coloring compounds provided it was accompanied by appropriate coloring information and the color reproduction of the previewing system was sufficiently accurate. Obviously however, such equipment also has potential uses with respect to previewing hats, clothing, etc. as a substitute for or an extension of substantial inventories of such items in a retail outlet. In any event such equipment is known in the prior art, though prior to the present invention the quality of the illusion, the quality of the color reproduction and the versatility of the equipment were substantially limited, thereby limiting the usefulness and reliability of such equipment, particularly as a basis for making determinations with respect to hair coloring.
The inventor of the present previewing system is also the inventor or one of the inventors of prior art previewing devices disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,545,675; 2,808,757; and 2,899,860. In the '675 patent, light from the viewer's face is reflected off a pair of mirrors in the apparatus to be presented on a backlighted screen facing the viewer, the light being focused to present the viewer's facial image by a lens in the apparatus. A plurality of transparent plates each having thereon an artistic reproduction of a coiffure are disposable just forward of the viewing screen so that the image on the plate is viewable in conjunction with the image of the viewer's face. In such apparatus the light intensity of the image is low because of the limited light from the viewers face and the diffusion thereof by the screen.
In the '757 patent, the light from the viewer's face is reflected off a pair of mirrors in the apparatus, with a lens focusing the facial image at a plane within the apparatus. Disposable within that plane are the transparent plates containing the hair style, with the facial image and the hair style image being refocused for viewing by a second lens. Facial image intensity is improved in this apparatus, though the balance between images and the quality of the images are limited.
In the '860 patent, an individual slide on a turret-like slide holder is illuminated by a lamp, with the light passing therethrough then passing through an appropriately colored segment of a turret-like color wheel. That image then proceeds through a series of lenses, being focused thereby for viewing by the viewer through a partially reflecting mirror, which mirror also presents the viewer's facial image to present a composite image of a viewer's face with the coiffure superimposed thereon. In an alternate embodiment, the light passing through the slide holder and color wheel is focused on a diffusion screen so that the image thereon is viewable through the partially reflecting mirror.
In the foregoing systems color of the hair style could not be reproduced with any degree of accuracy, particularly with an accuracy required to provide a basis for the viewer's actual selection of the desired color. In addition, in the '675 and '757 systems, each slide had to be manually placed in position generally requiring an operator of the equipment to obtain the desired effect and to take the required care with the relatively delicate slides. Similarly in the '860 system, operation was most convenient with a machine operator, as the color wheel and slide holder are too remote for the convenient manipulation of a viewer. In that regard the systems of the '675 and '860 patents are specifically set up so that an operator may also view the image from behind or above the apparatus as an aid in the operation thereof. Finally, even in the '860 system a number of coiffures and colors which could be presented were highly limited, as the number of slides disposable on the slide holder and colors on the color wheels are necessarily limited.
Another fashion previewing apparatus is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,061,378. That system is similar to the system of the '675 patent with respect to the presentation of the facial image on a back lighted screen, though includes a film projector therebehind projecting through a mask to present the coiffure on the back of the viewing screen also, the mask masking the face and neck regions though freely lighting the regions surrounding the coiffure. Other examples of related viewing apparatus include those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,232,110; 2,297,844; 2,711,667; 2,729,141; 2,796,801 and 3,507,570. These devices however are substantially different in purpose and function and accordingly not described in detail herein.
As previously mentioned, prior art fashion previewing apparatus has not generally allowed the accurate reproduction of color to form the basis of a person's selection of a new hair color. For this purpose the manufacturers of hair coloring products generally provide various aids which more accurately allow the selection of a new color and the determination of the formulas and procedures required to change from a given hair color to a selected new color. By way of example, Clairol Incorporated puts out what they refer to as color rings which comprise swatches of hair-like synthetic fiber colored and appropriately identified to correspond with the various colors obtainable through the use of Clairol products. The various swatches on the color rings may be compared with a person's existing hair color to obtain an identification of the "before" parameters. Clairol also puts out a hair color formula dial having the various colors attainable by a given series of their coloring products and an inner rotatable member which when aligned with the person's present hair color will reveal the formulations and procedures required to change hair color to each of the other colors. While perfect uniformity and predictability of color change is not achieved reasonable accuracy results from the use of the color rings and hair color formula dial. Of course the selection of a new hair color based on the use of the color rings does not allow one the advantage of viewing oneself with the illusion of a coiffeur of the selected color.